Something About Seasoning
by Nadireth
Summary: Set during DMC,Jack x OC.Nariza is under sentence of death,for a crime she couldn't help committing.What happens when she is picked up by an infamous pirate Captain? Particularly as they can't speak a word of each other's language! please read and review
1. An odd sort of introduction

Welcome everyone!

Yes, I'm back and writing again after about three years, flaming miracle. Just to warn you,the rating for this may go up several chapters later mainly because I've always wanted to try writing a steamy romance chapter. I **love** getting reviews, mainly because it's interesting to hear different viewpoints of something you've created and worked on. So yeah,feel free to leave me reviews on how bad/good/better the story could be, or even just random comments :)

**Disclaimer:** Nariza is mine,Disney owns the rest

Nariza's backstory will be explained over a few chapters

_Italics _mean that the language used is Umshunko (language of the Pelegostos),normal font is English

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The reverberations of the drums rang in my ears, interspersed with the eerie shrieks and howls of triumph from what were once my fellow tribesmen. I could hear the thundering tramp of their many feet from where I was sprawled inside the hut, hands bound tightly to the solid wooden pole above my head, blood caking my wrists and my hair. A sudden jolt of fear hit me in the stomach, as I realised that they had brought back a new prey and that once they were finished with it, I would be next. It wasn't exactly a soothing prospect. Feebly, I attempted to tug against my bindings to free myself, but hissed in pain as the toughened ropes only dug deeper into my flesh, the coppery smell of blood becoming more noticeable. The noise of the drumming grew louder, making my head ache. Groaning, I moved my head as much as I could, trying to see what else there was and if I could use it to free myself. It wasn't until I was neatly smacked in the forehead with the flat blade of a meat cleaver that I realised this was a bad idea. My heart seemed to freeze in my chest as I realised the hut was full of blades. Blades that were covered in the reeking remains of human flesh. 

Heedless of the tightness around my wrists, I started tugging frantically at my bonds. I had to get out! Those wretched ropes were rubbing my wrists raw as I tugged them every single way I could, even gnawing at them. However, my renewed sense of vitality didn't last long and I fell back onto the dusty floor, spitting out fragments of grass. The bone bracelets on my ankles chattered as my feet came into contact with an extremely solid, heavy-looking chest. Yelping in pain, I was unaware that my efforts at escaping had attracted unwanted attention. Five long, clawed fingers dug into my scalp and wrenched it back until I could see who it was. Looking down at me, a cruel smile playing around her features was Gaja, the self-proclaimed matriarch of the tribe. I swallowed nervously, painfully aware of my exposed throat and how near it was to the claws on her other hand. She leant down, her hot breath at my ear and her filed teeth just grazing the pulse point behind it.

'_When the time comes, I shall truly enjoy eating you'_

An involuntary moan of terror escaped my lips, Gaja's sneer widening in self-satisfied triumph. Sickeningly, I could feel the tips of her fingernails travel delicately down my throat to the pulsing jugular. One swift stab and that would be the end of me. I could tell from the greedy look in her eyes that she was mulling it over. Thankfully, the shouts of the children outside distracted her. Giving my head a violent shove, she wrenched her hands out of my hair and stalked outside the hut, angry that her torturing of me had been interrupted. Outside, I could hear her bawling orders at the children, followed by a screech as she neatly clipped one of them around the head. I had seen Gaja's temper in action before, and I bitterly regretted crossing it. My crime was punishable by death, but I would not be allowed the luxury of dieing slowly or knowing how my life would end.

I must've spent some time contemplating my fate because Gaja's shouts and the noise of the children had died away into silence. So had the drumming. I closed my eyes, partly in respect for whomsoever it was that had been devoured, partly in fear because it was me who would be next. I had a day, maybe two if I was lucky before I was chopped up into fish bait and my skull turned into a decoration for the Chief's throne. Frantically, I searched the hut again for a means with which to escape. I couldn't reach any of the blades, and the knots were too tight to be pulled free. Wait…what was that noise? A sort of...jingling, like the bit on a horse's bridle, though it had been years since I'd seen one. Whatever it was, it was coming nearer. Moments later, a man came hurtling into the hut, nearly knocking his own head on the self same meat cleaver. I twisted round in alarm, and was shocked completely speechless. Which is bloody rare, let me assure you. I viewed him with avid fascination for a few moments, because he was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. He was a moderately tall fellow, tanned bronze from long hours in the sun. His dark brown hair fell in dreadlocks around his face, held out of his eyes with a bandanna. It dawned on me that the jingling I'd heard were coming from the trinkets woven into his hair, and from the keys dangling from his belt. His face was painted, a spider motif on his nose with eyes attached to its legs. I felt a stab of pity as I recognised the Llarm design, which probably meant that he was minutes away from being eaten. However, what I noticed most about him was his eyes. From where I was sitting, they looked dark brown, but rimmed in kohl made them seem even darker. Eyes that I'd heard the women tell tales of round the fire, eyes that could seduce you with a single word.

However, the chap in question didn't look in the right frame of mind for that. The stranger's eyes darted from side to side in fear and curiosity as he looked around the hut. Obviously he hadn't noticed me yet, trussed up in a corner like a chicken waiting for the pot. The stranger made a small noise of happiness as he espied the coil of rope that was looped over another of the chests in the hut. Seizing it, he flung it over his shoulder and turned to go. I felt a rising tide of panic welling up within me; here was my only chance to escape and I was letting it walk out the door! Desperate to catch his attention I coughed loudly. He stopped, turned around briefly as if to check he wasn't hearing things then shrugged and made as if to go on his way again. Panicking now, I hauled my foot up and aimed a kick at the nearest thing that wouldn't amputate it, which happened to be the box of china nearest me. It toppled precariously, the plates clinking together as it fell to the floor with a loud crash. That got his attention. He turned round again and darted forward to the box as if he could see who or what had kicked it. I coughed again, louder this time and made frantic waggling motions with my head.

Thankfully, that was what had caught his eye. He approached me cautiously, despite the fact that I was still fixed to that blasted pole. I raised my eyes to meet him curiously, willing myself to remain sitting fairly upright. He dropped the rope and looked me up and down. At this point, I was acutely aware of my appearance. Condemned prisoners are very rarely well fed, if at all, my prominent ribs and hip bones were proof of that. Though most of it was hidden under the rough smock and green body paint that was traditional for the women of the tribe. My hair, a scraggy brown in colour was covered in mud and blood, most of it hanging limply in my eyes. He poked me in the shoulder, and I growled weakly in protest. His lips curled into a smile at that, his moustache twitching as it was obvious he was trying not to laugh. Somehow, I failed to see the humour in the situation. I let out another growl, and he proceeded to turn his attention back to my face. It was curious, but I thought a saw a flash of…something in his eyes. Sympathy? Curiosity? Or was it the simple acknowledgement that we could meet the same end.

This was going on too long, his time was running out. The whole tribe would be up in arms once they discovered he'd given them the slip, and this would be the first place they'd look. I jerked my head towards my hands, ignoring the fresh waves of pain I received, and uttered a short sentence.

'_Help me…please'_

He stared at me for a few seconds, before it dawned on me that he didn't understand a word of what I was saying. Several more frantic motioning towards my bonds and he finally got it. Pulling out a cutlass, I braced myself as he swung it perilously close to my head. Minutes later, I was sprawled flat on my back in the dust, but I was free. I staggered to my knees and stumbled towards him, gasping my thanks. My legs, unable to move for three days gave way before I'd even made it two paces and I had to clutch onto his knees for support. Which meant my head was quite close to a…rather sensitive part of his anatomy. He grinned cheekily down at me, as if reading my mind. Gently, he pried me loose and patted me on the head. His mouth opened to say something, but I couldn't understand what it was.

'Anytime luv'

A blink of the eye and he was gone. I blinked, then my mouth fell open in horror as I realised that the rest of the Pelegostos were outside. Dimly, I could hear my witty friend mutter something about seasoning. Breathing lightly, I crept closer on all fours to the mouth of the hut to see what was going on. I could see the warriors gathered around him, and Mokosh the medicine man. For a sickening moment, I felt Gaja's eyes boring into me as if she would stare me out right there and then. But the moment passed, her eyes moved, she was obviously looking at something else. I saw the stranger toss paprika into both his armpits, bits of it clinging to his braided goatee. The crowd looked amongst themselves in confusion. The strong scent of paprika was enough to make my eyes water at such close distance and I had to fight down a sneeze. Grimly, I watched as the stranger was prodded back towards the fire, Gaja in the lead.

Once the coast was clear, I scrabbled into the open, trying to make as little noise as possible. I felt a sharp pang of remorse that I could do nothing to help my rescuer. To walk into that gathering meant I would be killed on sight. I dithered for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest as I realised I was running out of time, if I was going to do something I ought to do it quickly. Then I had an idea, if I couldn't set him free myself, I could at least leave something to help him. Surely, if he could escape once, he could do it again? Optimistic, but it was worth a shot. Charging back into the hut, I sought around for something that wasn't encrusted in blood or partially decomposed flesh. Unfortunately, the only thing I could find was a miniature knife. It would have to do. Seizing that, and the strange pointy thing that went with it, I hurriedly set them outside the entrance to the hut in the hopes that he would find them again.

Risking a glance back up the mountain, I could barely see the outline of the young sentry. And he was coming towards me! Whirling around, I fled down the track as fast as my feet would carry me.

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Well, what do we all think? There will be more of the gorgeous Mr Sparrow in the next chapter, promise! Reviews very much appreciated, I really want to know what you all think!! 


	2. Flapping gestures

Cheers to Mita427 for reviewing!

Here's the next chapter loves, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Nariza and Kamalia are mine, Disney owns the rest

Usual rules about text, normal is english, italics is Umshunko.

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I ran faster down the twisty dirt path, duck and dodging around trees to avoid being seen. Casting a quick glance behind me, I could dimly spot the outline of the sentry as he came poking around the camp. Thankfully, he didn't seem to have noticed me yet. Turning around, I narrowly missed running slap-bang into a palm tree, managing to get away with only a sharp slap across the face. I hissed in pain, feeling blood trickle above my left eye and right cheek. That was annoying. Skidding behind a particularly large palm tree, I dabbed cautiously at the cut above my left eye, the one on my cheek was less severe. A sizeable amount of blood appeared on my fingers, as I hastily applied pressure to the wound to stop it bleeding. My fingers slipped in my own blood as I absent-mindedly wiped my forehead. Oh, fantastic. I groaned in frustration, then speedily slapped a hand over my mouth. That could easily have been heard, the acoustics in this place were dreadful. One minute, two minutes, three. I sighed softly with relief, either I hadn't been heard or the sentry had given up. 

Peeking out from behind the palm tree, I looked around to make sure it was clear. Assuming it was, I hopped out and was very nearly run over by an enormous ball of…_something. _I shook my fist at it crossly, and then scratched my head in sheer bewilderment, ignoring Gaja's scratches. What was that thing, were there _people_ in it?? Whatever it was, it was rolling at a tremendous speed across the jungle floor. Wham! An arrow slammed into the tree centimetres in front of me. I turned round, and my heart sprang into my throat. There, shrieking and snarling with unfulfilled bloodlust, was practically every singe warrior in the tribe! I took to my heads, a scream of sheer terror torn from my throat. My feet pounded across the spongy jungle plants, dodging around trees and jumping over bushes. I forgot about the prisoners, I forgot about the stranger who had freed me. Every instinct in my body was concentrated on putting as much distance away from as I could, as fast as I could.

I ran until I was bathed in sweat, my breath coming in gasps and my sides heaving. The jungle scrub sloped steeply downward, it wasn't until I stumbled that I realised that the tribe wasn't following me and that if I didn't slow down, I'd die of a broken neck. Of course, knowing my luck I was already halfway down the bloody hill. My feet skidded and slipped in the dust and stones as I fought to slow down. I could feel small stones scraping against the sides of my feet, the bushes catching at my smock. I seized for the nearest solid thing I could find, which happened to be the trunk of yet another tree. My nose inhaled the sweet, earthy scent of the bark as I struggled to regain both my feet and my breath.

After I had stopped panting, I proceeded to pick my way down the slope. Time was short, even though the tribe must've been distracted by the prisoners. Normally we only had what was washed up on the island, a shipwrecked sailor or maybe a longboat full of them. Once we even found a horse in the hull of a wrecked ship that had been marooned on the tide line. I'd spent ages studying that horse; stroking its pelt, admiring the clear amber of its eyes, batting its tail back and forth between my hands. Kamalia had loved that horse too. My breath caught painfully in my throat, causing tears to bead the corner of my eyes as I fought not to give in to weeping. Kamalia, my precious Kamalia….how could I have let them do this to you? My chest heaved with a silent sob as I remember her glowing smile as she clung to me. Teeth gritted, I resisted temptation to touch the bones on my ankle for I knew that if I did that I would break down completely.

Forcing myself upright, I snapped my eyes open, and rubbed my nose roughly with the back of one hand. I had to get off this island, dying here; in this way would be an insult to her memory. Scowling, I stomped my way down to the bottom where scrubland gave in to soft brown sand. I stopped there, pulling small stones and thorns out of my feet and from in between my toes. With a sudden flash of lucidity, I realised that I didn't know what to do next. My only thought had been to get away from the camp. What could I do now? Going back was out of the question, could I perhaps find a distant corner of the island, make a dwelling there and live out the rest of my life as an outcast? I shuddered, through all their faults; I missed the companionship of my tribe. The feeling that you had a safe place to sleep at night, the community and the knowledge that everyone else had the same as you. With a sudden pang of clarity I realised that I couldn't live on my own. I'd go mad, day after day on my own, my former life little more than a memory.

Maybe the prisoners had arrived here in a vessel? Maybe I could find it, and somehow make it seaworthy. I stood up, brushing the sand off my legs and headed towards the beach. I had to go slowly, as my legs were still sore from the past three days of crouching. As I neared the beach, I became aware that there was shouting and yelling. I moved faster, partly out of curiosity and partly because I didn't know where the noise was coming from. I had a nasty suspicion that whatever it was, it was coming from behind me. The noise grew louder, I broke into a run across the sand, dodging the scattered human remains. Grimacing in disgust, I rounded the bend and stopped dead in my tracks.

There, right in front of me, was possibly the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. A ship, black from the wood to the sails with the elegance of a person. I took a few hesitant steps forward, unwilling to believe my eyes. Was this really here? There were two people near it, one running around on deck and the other hauling at a rope coming off the ship. My casual musings were interrupted by the melee that had also taken my route. I turned round to look and my eyes popped out of my head. They'd found me! The whole tribe was yelling and whooping as they chased a figure that was rapidly gaining on me. I didn't know who or what it was, but I wasn't stopping to find out. Deciding to take my chance with the ship, I started running towards it. There were several others ahead of me that were running toward the ship. I didn't know who they were, or really care in all honesty. The seawater splashed against my legs, feet churning up the sand. Reaching it, I scrabbled wildly and somehow managed to catch part of a lattice of ropes hanging off it. Swarming up it, I latched on and took a last look my home, for I doubted I'd ever see it again.

It also allowed me to get a closer look at what the Pelegostos were chasing. I felt an inexplicable surge of happiness in the pit of my stomach when I realised who it was. It was the stranger who helped untie me, he'd somehow escaped again! Feeling completely flabbergasted, I watched as he swam closer to the ship. Leaning down, I held out a hand to help him up. The expression on his face was priceless as he recognised me, halfway between confusion and relief. He seized my hand and used his other to get a firm grip on the rope. Flashing a brief smile at me, he turned to wave at the tribe, saying something that I couldn't understand, but got the general gist of.

'Alas my children, this will be the day that you will always remember as the day that you almost...'

Unfortunately, the rest of his words were cut off by an impertinently timed wave, which soaked the pair of us. Having my mouth open at the time, I swallowed a sizeable amount of the stuff. Coughing, I didn't catch the strangers name nor barely noticed when he prodded me lightly in the side. Pushing my sodden hair out of my eyes, I barely registered that he had poked me again, slightly more forcefully this time. Automatically, I began to climb up the ropes as best I could. This ended with me landing with a thump on the deck, in an undignified heap. I scowled in annoyance, not noticing that my companion of sorts was right behind me, and had nudged me forward to give him room to move. A clicking noise sounded to my left, and I realised that one of the men, a tall bearded fellow was pointing a curious contraption of metal right at my head. I narrowed my eyes warily, as I hadn't got a clue what was going on. But I got the knife pointed at my midriff all right. A man, barely the size of a child tickled my belly with the blade.

Hesitantly I raised my hands in a placating gesture, but before I could say anything my rescuer intervened yet again. Flapping his hands wildly around, he comically slapped the hand of the man who was pointing the piece of metal at my head. I giggled at the look on the slapped mans face, it came out unnaturally loud in the quiet. Ignoring me for the moment, my rescuer waved his hands some more and muttered something in an annoyed tone.

'Leave the lass be…she's had enough.'

Reluctantly, the man and the dwarf lowered their weapons. I shook my head from side to side, trying to comprehend what was happening. Evidently, my strange friend was a person of considerable authority.

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Hope you had fun reading that, there will be some explanation of Kamalia in upcoming chapters, I don't want to give away too much too soon. 

Review,review,review!!!


	3. That was a bit uncalled for!

Bonjour all! -waves-

Hope you like this chapter, this has been re-written quite a few times as I really wasn't happy with the way it was turning out. I know it's a tad shorter, but I figured that the others were too long and it means that I can put more in the short ones anyway.

**Mita427: **Thankyou! I'm really happy you're enjoying it :)

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Jack Sparrow, do you really think I'd be writing this? Nariza is still mine though,as is Kamalia

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After giving me a few more cursory glances, the rest of the men followed suit and sheathed their weapons. Letting out a sigh of relief, I leant back against the rail, still unsure of what to do. Most of the crew busied themselves doing whatever it was that made the ship move, while the bearded man who had pointed his weapon at me first, busied himself talking to my rescuer as he was having a coat draped around his shoulders. Beardy jabbed his finger at me several times, and I heard him muttering something I couldn't understand.

"….nothing but bad luck Jack, and a cannibal too! What were ye thinkin'?"

Jack shrugged and turned to look at me, the other man following suit. Involuntarily, I flinched under their sudden attention. So much for just blending in. Jack smirked and turned back to his companion, making more flapping gestures. I watched him curiously, was he always like that? Or was it just the heat? Suddenly, I was buffeted soundly in the back by something, causing me to sprawl haphazardly over the large piece of metal to my left and bash my toe quite painfully on it. I scowled, not helped by the fact that Jack was chuckling at me from his position and whirled angrily around to see _who_ it was. Miraculously, there was no-one there. Snorting in annoyance, I moved back to my original position

"Stick 'er in the brig for the time bein', we'll deal with her later"

Waving his hands again as if the matter was closed, Jack turned his back on me and adjusted the blanket around his shoulders. Then, to my alarm both of my arms were seized to my sides by the two pirates I'd seen earlier. I took a swipe at one of them, hissing like an angry cat but didn't even manage to scratch him. He jumped back, his wooden eye rolling in its socket, still clutching my arm and I took the opportunity to stamp on his foot. Yelping in pain and annoyance, he backhanded me across the face. My head snapped back, and I could taste the blood in my mouth. Now my jaw ached, in addition to my legs. Coughing, I spat out some of the blood on the deck, earning myself a snigger from my other gaoler as he seized my chin in his grimy fingers and yanked it upwards.

"Didn' like that did yer? You behave yerself poppet or yer'll get another one!"

Tugging my chin free, I snapped at his fingers, my intention being to give them a sharp nip. He recoiled back, as if remembering where exactly I'd come from and the pair of them started hauling me across the deck. Struggling, I bit and lashed out at every single opportunity I had. Which wasn't many as they both took care to keep as much distance from me as possible without relinquishing their grips. Panicking now, I slammed both my feet into the hard wooden floor, refusing to budge. However, my resistance was positively useless. I was literally dragged across the deck, the soles of my feet screaming as they were scraped by the wood. It stung and stung, until finally I couldn't take anymore and let myself be hauled toward another door which led into the ship.

It was nearly impossible to see what was down there in the dark, and the smell was none too pleasant either. Twisting my head round, I made a desperate attempt to get Jack's attention, but it was clear that he wasn't paying attention.

"Jack! JACK!"

I yelled frantically, but it did me no good. He was at the opposite end of the ship conversing with a man whom I didn't recognise. Either he didn't hear me, or else he didn't care. The two pirates on either side of me laughed and then virtually kicked me down the stairs. I stumbled, nearly losing my balance from loss of blood. But I didn't have time to attend to my hurts, for my gaolers shoved me into something not akin to a metal cage. I tripped and fell flat on my face with a groan; hearing mocking laughter behind me as the door was slammed shut and locked.

"Have a nice stay...poppet"

I sighed, hearing the footsteps and laughter of the men fade away into the semi-darkness. Nearly every bone in my body was aching, and it was simply too much effort to fight any more. This place stank of salt, gunpowder and the lingering scent of male sweat. Wrinkling my nose in distaste, I let out a small groan of pain. My mouth flopped open, as my eyes closed and the world went black…..

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Next chapter will be probably be written from Jack's POV 

Reveiw because it makes me happy:P


	4. Pirate nursemaid? I think not

Avast me hearties! Chapter 4 be up!

**Many thanks to Mita427 and chicalala208 for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters, except Nariza and Kamalia. The mouse owns all.

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Jack's hands gripped the helm of his beloved _Pearl, _the wind making his dreadlocks jingle. In front of him the crew were scurrying about on deck, Gibbs loudly berating them every so often. Jack would've smirked but he knew Gibbs was right, he _had_ to see Tia Dalma and bloody quickly. Otherwise…….his hands gripped tighter on the wood. He couldn't die! He was _Captain_ Jack Sparrow after all, that had to count for something. Jack had to get his hands on that key, and aye, the chest would definately come in useful. 

The waves lapped gently against the sides of the ship, the seeming tranquillity doing nothing to aid Jack's mood. He wasn't safe on the sea anymore, or on land by the looks of it. Bloody cannibals! Barely suppressing a shudder, Jack forced himself to try to think of something else, anything else. Agitated, Jack started drumming his fingers on the helm while vainly trying to distract himself. Eventually, it wandered over to the ship's new arrival. Despite giving orders that she was to be kept in the brig, Jack was slightly curious about her. She seemed friendly (meaning she hadn't immediately tried to eat him) and while not incredibly articulate, she might be able to keep his mind occupied until they got to their destination.

After fidgeting for a few minutes, he motioned to Gibbs to come towards him. The man complied, twitching nervously every so often. Jack could understand that, Tia Dalma wasn't exactly the type of woman that put one at ease.

"Mr Gibbs!"

"Aye Cap'n?"

"I'm going t'check on our visitor, make sure she's enjoyin' 'er accommodation. Savvy?"

Jack gave Gibbs a small smile before strolling across the deck and towards the brig. Gibbs took his place behind the wheel, shaking his head in bewilderment. What the Cap'n saw in bringing women aboard, he'd never know. Bad luck, the lot of them! As for one from an island of cannibals, it beggared belief.

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Weaving his way past random crew members, and that dratted Turner whelp Jack made his way carefully down the stairs that led to the brig. From here, the slap of the waves against the timbers of the _Pearl_ was more rhythmic, more relaxing. Despite himself, Jack smiled. It was darker in here, the bright sunlight made his eyes ache as his dip in the briny had taken off most of his kohl. Sauntering casually down the stairs, he reached for the lantern hanging in the doorway. Jack then realised that he would have to peer deeper into the gloom if he was going to find any trace of the Pelegosto lass. He wove about for several minutes, his swaying stride somehow enabling him to keep his balance. 

Ah, there she was! Jack made his way across to her cell. He could dimly glimpse her outline, back towards him with her head lying on one of her outstretched arms. It was hard to tell from this angle, but her breathing sounded very much like she was either unconscious or asleep from sheer exhaustion. Jack frowned, why was she just sprawled like that? Despite breaking several hundred hearts, Jack regarded abusing women as detestable. That didn't mean to say he agreed with the view that 'women were to inspire art…not create it'. On the contrary, most women he knew were more than capable of taking care of themselves. Just look at Anamaria! But the girl looked malnourished and poorly treated already, violence wasn't needed.

He crept towards the cell, crouching down to the nearest part of her that he could see, which happened to be the back of her head. Jack frowned again, more deeply this time. He didn't know the exact situation in which he had found the girl, but as most of her was covered in blood….he surmised that she was obviously some kind of sacrifice or prisoner. And to make matters worse, he couldn't understand a single word she said! To be quite honest, Jack didn't know exactly why he'd allowed her onboard the _Pearl_ in the first place! She wasn't very pretty, from what he could see of the parts of her that weren't covered in blood and dirt but she might be once she was cleaned up. Granted, she had seemed rather desperate to get out of that hut, and he had been preoccupied at the time.

Sighing, he reached out and rapped gently on the metal bars, his rings making small chinking noises against it. No response. Jack tapped again, harder this time. Either this girl was a really heavy sleeper, or she was unconscious. Still nothing. He could unlock the cell, but it was probably best to let the lass come to of her own accord rather than enforcing his presence too soon. But if she should wake up….Jack pondered this for several moments. He didn't know why, but he wanted to be the first one she saw. Anyway, he reasoned with himself, he _did_ rescue her and so was vaguely familiar. A stranger might only send her into a panicked frenzy.

It was only when the back of his legs began aching, that Jack realised he'd been crouching near to the cell for the best part of half an hour. He rose, rubbing his leg and wincing. The lass still hadn't moved, so he settled himself on one of the barrels near to her and waited.

Thump! Jack awoke with a start, automatically pulling out a pistol. Breathing heavily, he manoeuvred it for several minutes, eyes darting about the room for any sign of threat. Thump! Thump! Jack nearly jumped out of his skin at the noise. Bounding off the barrel, he aimed the pistol at the first thing he saw.

It wasn't until several minutes later that he realised it was only the girl.

She was trying to push herself off the damp floor, but her hand kept slipping. Thump! Went her head on the hard wooden floor. Jack winced, that looked unbelievably painful. Before he knew it, he'd strode over to the cell and wrenched it open. Barbossa hadn't exactly been a cleanliness fanatic; bloody lock had practically rusted off. Jack gently cupped the lass's head, just managing to stop it banging down for the fifth time.

"Easy luv, easy"

His voice was strangely soft, comforting even. The girl looked up at him through weary bloodshot eyes, cracked lips slightly parted. Jack wasn't even sure she'd recognised him. But he had other problems to worry about. Her breath was coming in shallow, wheezing gasps. (**A/N:** Think Frodo in 'Return of the King')Frowning, Jack lightly tipped her head up so he could check her pulse, which too was shallow. Maybe a drink would help. Jack looked hastily around for water, and then cursed silently. There was nothing here, aside from the occasional pool of seawater that had seeped in. And alcohol would only make her worse.

Well if the mountain won't come to Mohammed…. Jack supposed he would just have to take her to his cabin. And not in the usual way, so get your mind out of the gutter! The girl was obviously sick; Jack felt a slight twinge of guilt but hastily stamped it down. It was _not_ his fault. Right? Shaking his head, he scooped her up in his arms. It was scary really, she weighed practically nothing. Maybe Tia could patch her up? Jack was a pirate captain, not a nursemaid. Her head lolled against his chest, her breath wasn't even enough to cause the fabric to move. Jack could feel the heat of her skin through his shirt, which worried him even more. That didn't happen to people who were healthy...

It was only until Jack was halfway up the stairs with his bundle that he realised how caring this was

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Y'see that little purple button down there? Well ,when y'push that, it makes me happy! Haven't tried writing in 3rd person for a while, so let me know what you think 

Review and you get a hug from Cap'n Jack!


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